José Coronel Urtecho
José Coronel Urtecho, born on February 28, 1906, in Granada, Nicaragua, was a prominent poet and influential literary figure known for his contributions to Nicaraguan literature. He faced a challenging childhood marked by his father's suicide and struggled with formal education, which led him to seek knowledge in the United States. There, he was inspired by American poets, especially Carl Sandburg, which greatly influenced his writing style. Coronel Urtecho founded several literary journals, including Centro América and Crietrio, through which he advocated for a distinct Nicaraguan literary voice.
His work, particularly the poem "Oda a Rubén Darío," became a cornerstone of the Nicaraguan Vanguardista movement. Coronel Urtecho was also involved in politics, serving in various public roles and marrying María Kautz, who inspired much of his poetry. Despite his international acclaim and significant contributions, he remained modest about accepting honors, receiving the Rubén Darío Order of Cultural Independence in 1980. Throughout his life, he authored approximately fifteen books and numerous translations, leaving a lasting legacy in Nicaraguan poetry and literature.
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José Coronel Urtecho
Fiction Writer and Poet
- Born: February 28, 1906
- Birthplace: Granada, Nicaragua
- Died: March 19, 1994
Biography
José Coronel Urtecho was born on February 28, 1906, in Granada, Nicaragua. His father, Manuel Coronel Matz, was actively engaged in Nicaraguan politics. This led, however, to his suicide in 1910. Young Coronel Urtecho studied at the Colegio Centroamerica, a Jesuit institution. He was not a good student, however, because he was bored with formal education. When Coronel Urtecho graduated, he chose to travel to the United States to further his education. While there, he became acquainted with the work of American poets Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg. Sandburg in particular influenced Coronel Urtecho’s work.
Coronel Urtecho founded the journal Centro América based on the aesthetic ideas he had learned in the United States and used this journal to publish his writing between 1920 and 1925. He also founded another journal, Semana, in 1926. One of Coronel Urtecho’s most important poems, “Oda a Rubén Darío,” also written in 1926, served as a manifesto for the Nicaraguan Vanguardista movement. He returned to Nicaragua in 1927 and became an active contributor to El Diario Nicaraguënse, calling for the creation of a Nicaraguan literature.
In 1929, Coronel Urtecho founded the journal Crietrio, and in 1931, he published the poems “Oda al Mombacho,” “Oda a la torre de la Merced,” and “Pequeña oda a tío Coyote,” utilizing the Vanguardista ideals. The 1930’s also saw one of the most important events of Coronel Urtecho’s life: his marriage to María Kautz. Totally devoted to her, he moved to the countryside to be with her. She became the subject of many of his poems, including the famous “Pequeña biografía de mi mujer,” (little biography of my woman). In 1938, Coronel Urtecho became active in politics and was elected to the Nationalist Conservative Party. He held several public and diplomatic offices, living abroad for several years. In 1959, he and his wife moved to their home on the San Juan River, an important site for his poetry and life.
By 1963, Coronel Urtecho was regarded as one of the leading Nicaraguan poets, having achieved both national and international fame. He was selected to give the opening address at the founding of the Central American University in Nicaragua; he also participated in the 1967 celebration of Rubén Darío. Coronel Urtecho lost his wife in 1992; he lived another two years himself in great grief over her passing. Coronel Urtecho did not accept many honors during his lifetime, although on the occasion of his seventieth birthday in 1976, writers from around the world gathered in his home city to honor him with a conference. He did accept the 1980 Rubén Darío Order of Cultural Independence.
Over his lifetime, Coronel Urtecho produced some fifteen books, eight translations of poetry into Spanish, and countless articles. His achievements in Nicaraguan poetry are many; notably, he simultaneously introduced North American literature to his fellow Nicaraguans while helping them establish a voice of their own.